To tackle child poverty, one-parent families must be supported

Spark (Single Parents Acting for the Rights of Kids) is extremely disappointed that the programme for government contains no specific commitment to review reforms of the One-Parent Family Payment, which resulted in losses for our poorest families and forced many lone parents out of paid employment.

Child poverty can only be tackled by supporting lone-parent families. According to an EU survey on income and living conditions in 2014, the consistent poverty rate for the general public is 8%, it is slightly lower at 7.9% for two-parent families — and a massive 22.1% for children in one-parent families.

The programme for government has identified specific areas, such as housing, rural communities, school diversity, and supports for the self-employed, which are all welcome, but it has failed to even mention a comprehensive policy to address children in one-parent families.

On April 15, 2015, then senator Katherine Zappone introduced a motion to the Seanad seeking an urgent review of the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment. She subsequently decided not to put her motion to a vote after then social protection minister Joan Burton said her department had commissioned a report by Michelle Millar (NUI Galway). This report was due to be published by August 2015, yet has still not been released.

The programme for government commits to reviewing barriers to education for lone parents, but ignores the income losses of working lone parents. Spark has consistently raised the issue of child maintenance, which could be a cost-neutral way of tackling child poverty.

We are extremely worried about the cessation of the Family Income Supplement. When One-Parent Family Payment cuts happened, we were told we could transfer to this supplement, but this resulted in a loss for many people. There is now similar language being used around the Working Family Payment and we are fearful that without proper assessment, this too could lead to further unsustainable losses.

Our experience highlights how there is no cross-departmental approach to ensure changes to precarious family incomes are not detrimental. We believe our voices need to be heard before more unresearched, ill-thought-out policies are introduced. We will not stand by and watch further damaging policy changes inflicted upon our families.

It is disappointing that the programme for government has failed to even acknowledge this damage inflicted upon lone-parent families.

Louise Bayliss

42 Verdemont,

Blanchardstown,

Dublin 15